Augmented reality learning: New learning paradigm in co-space

Editorial:L Augmented reality (AR), with its ability to bridge virtual and real environments, opens up new opportunities for building more engaging and constructive learning contexts. The educational values of AR are increasingly recognized by researchers and AR is regarded as one of “next generation” pedagogical media to promote learning quality (Dede, 2008). Moving beyond the technical issues of implementing emerging instructional technologies (Zhou, Duh, & Billinghurst, 2008), considerable attention has been paid to how these technologies impact learning practices in different settings. Recognizing the potential advantages of AR learning, more research is needed to evaluate the role of AR technology in teaching and learning. As smartphones, software and vision systems shift the status of AR from a technical curiosity to a practical and ubiquitous technology, we must help build knowledge among researchers and practitioners that help guide decision-making about when and how AR is most effective. This knowledge is built through theory, design experiments, and other research. Given the rapid technological advances in this area, now seemed like an appropriate time to bring some of the leading ideas in this space together. This special issue attempts to broaden the research scope of AR learning, deepen the insights into the opportunities offered by AR technology for strengthening learning, and motivate ongoing research efforts in the field of AR learning.